The N.C. Division of Coastal Management (DCM) has certified its latest North Carolina Clean Marina, a designation given to marinas that exceed minimum regulatory requirements. Ocean Isle Marina in Brunswick County received certification in January.
The Clean Marina program illustrates how marina operators can help safeguard the environment by using best management and operation techniques that exceed environmental requirements. To earn the certification, the marina's owners control boat maintenance activities and prepare spill prevention plans to protect water quality. Marina operators also incorporate safety and emergency planning for their facilities.
“The partnership with marinas in the Clean Marina Program is critical in implementing environmental best management practices to protect, maintain and improve water quality in North Carolina,” said Tancred Miller, director of the N.C. Division of Coastal Management.
Clean Marina is a voluntary program in which participating marina operators must complete an evaluation form about their use of specific best management practices to protect water quality. If a marina meets criteria developed by the N.C. Division of Coastal Management, it will be designated as a Clean Marina. Such marinas are eligible to fly the Clean Marina flag and use the logo in their advertising. The flags signal to boaters that a marina cares about the cleanliness of area waterways.
Clean Marina is a nationwide program developed by the National Marine Environmental Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to clean up waterways for better recreational boating. The foundation encourages states to adopt Clean Marina principles to fit their own needs.
The North Carolina program is a partnership between the N.C. Division of Coastal Management, the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership, N.C. Sea Grant, the U.S. Power Squadron, and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
For more information about clean marinas and how to apply for Clean Marina status, go to DCM’s website.
To find a Clean Marina near you visit our webmap.
Ocean Isle Marina staff image available for download.
The Division of Coastal Management
The Division of Coastal Management (DCM) works to protect, conserve, and manage North Carolina’s coastal resources through an integrated program of planning, permitting, education and research. DCM carries out the state’s Coastal Area Management Act, the Dredge and Fill Law and the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 in the 20 coastal counties, using rules and policies of the NC Coastal Resources Commission, known as the CRC. Click here to learn more about the Division of Coastal Management.
The NC Department of Environmental Quality:
The primary mission of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is to provide science-based environmental stewardship for the health and prosperity of all North Carolinians. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is the lead stewardship agency for the protection of North Carolina's environmental resources. The organization, which has offices from the mountains to the coast, administers regulatory programs designed to protect air quality, water quality, and the public's health, and works to advance in all-of-the-above energy strategy that fits North Carolina's needs. Please visit our website at the Department of Environmental Quality for more information.
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